Pooched!

Vanessa and Justin Roop are the proud owners of Pooched! Dog Daycare & Boarding, in Sackville N.S. Vanessa says, “We’ve both always had the strong desire to work for ourselves. Although we appreciated our past jobs and what we learned from them, working for other people was very limiting. There were challenges in getting started and then our subsequent expansion. Topping this list was taking the actual leap. We are both educated, young, hard-workers—and to abandon good jobs, comfort and stability was difficult, but we also knew our happiness levels would suffer working for someone else the rest of our lives.”

The second biggest challenge was facing financial uncertainty. However, their mutual desire to work for themselves was a driving factor and that spurred them on. Then it was matter of getting focused, doing the required research and planning. “We also consulted with professionals, did more research, prepared budgets, and did everything we could to set ourselves up for success. We knew it wouldn’t be easy (and still isn’t), but it’s been worth it.”

Making sacrifices along the way are part of the picture. For example, they currently have no life outside of their work environment as their business operates 24/7, 365. Vanessa adds that many people don’t realize what’s involved in operating your own business. “For us, it’s not a job; it’s a lifestyle. They think that because we work for ourselves, we can do whatever we want. But it doesn’t quite work that way.”

Both agree that the top three skills needed to a successful entrepreneur are ambition, discipline and support. The first two items are up to the Roops to provide and they do that in spades. But the latter comes from friends, family, and professional agencies, and that’s where CBDC Blue Water stepped into the picture. “They were our lifeline. CBDC Blue Water was a huge financial support for us, which allowed us to fulfil both our work and personal life goals. The staff there took a chance on us that’s not something we take lightly. They helped us in a way I can’t come close to describe.”

Of course, there are lessons learned along the way. Vanessa shares three:

No matter how hard you plan, try, and research—nothing turns out the way you expect. Go along for the ride and adapt.

Set boundaries between your personal and work life. Finding a balance is important.

Networking is incredibly effective; there’s nothing like it. So being your best professional “business self” is important whether you’re speaking with a client or a cashier at the grocery store.

If they were to start over again, would the owners of Pooched! do things differently? Vanessa says, “We over thought things when we actually should have taken more action. So we should have trusted ourselves earlier on with our business plan, and taken the leap sooner.